People Waiting for Help (2)
I was not the one involved. I had no right to step forward and lecture her about the choice she made that day. I could only watch Isis as she writhed in guilt. Unless she asked me directly, I could neither comfort, reprimand, nor support her.
This had become entirely Isis's trial. Whether to move forward or stand still was her choice to make.
"We must not kill the child."
And finally, Isis took a step forward. Not by escaping her guilt, but by carrying it on her shoulders, seeking to achieve now the salvation that the Hero's party had failed to deliver back then.
Isis argued with Aryen. She stood her ground against Bishop Andre without backing down. As if there was something she absolutely had to protect, Isis stood up, declaring she would protect the child's life with her own hands.
That alone was reason enough for me to take her side. For now, at least, my thoughts aligned with hers.
"I agree with Isis."
I raised my hand and stepped forward. I felt the gaze of my companions. Georg looked at me as if leaving it in my hands, while Daphne and Marianne watched with worried eyes.
"...You."
Then, my eyes met Aryen's. Aryen furrowed his brow slightly, and I stared back at him, keeping my expression completely flat.
"Even if the chances of saving them are infinitesimally close to zero, there is still a chance. Why ignore it?"
"...Hero," Bishop Andre said, looking at me with a troubled expression.
"That choice only prolongs the child's suffering, and it could very well increase the number of casualties. Trying to save the child in this situation is abandoning your responsibility to the survivors," Aryen said calmly.
I stared into Aryen's pitch-black eyes. I had always thought the day would come when I would reject him to his face. The timing turned out to be quite ironic.
I took a deep breath. Just as the Elroy of the original novel once did, I would reject Aryen.
"Do you think abandoning a child's life is an act of responsibility, Aryen? That's just the easy way out. If you kill one, you don't have to think about the deaths of the rest. You can just pretend you protected them. Don't treat a single death so cheaply, Aryen. Lives aren't measured in numbers."
Aryen's face hardened.
"...If that single death can guarantee the salvation of the rest, is there any other choice? And remember, our task isn't just dealing with this one child who was implanted with the remnant. Isn't our goal here to capture the Doomsday Cultists? We can't afford to waste time and manpower."
Aryen took a step closer.
"You haven't even seen the state that child is in. Unidentified flesh covering half his body, blood vessels sprouting like tentacles... Do you really think you could spout such hopeful nonsense if you actually saw it?"
"Oh, so Isis hasn't seen him either, and that's why she's talking like this? I had no idea."
"Are you really going to play word games with me even in a situation like this?"
I shook my head.
"No. I'm saying we have to give them a chance. Right now, you're trying to rob two people of their chances. You're trying to strip that child of his chance to survive, and you're stripping Isis of her chance to save him."
"Are you not even considering the possibility that Isis might fail?"
"Giving up on the best outcome isn't the same as preparing for the worst."
This time, I took a step forward.
"I have no intention of compromising with a Calamity by taking a step back here and making a concession there."
"Think rationally. Stop spouting nothing but idealism," Aryen replied in a cold voice.
Unable to watch the bickering any longer, Bishop Andre waved his hands and stepped between Aryen and me.
"Hold on. Let us stop here. The battle against the Doomsday Cultists hasn't even begun, so we shouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves."
Bishop Andre looked at Aryen, who shook his head and stepped back.
"The Hero's words are principled and correct. However, I must ask you to remember that we are dealing with Doomsday Cultists. We cannot afford to give them such an opening."
The bishop, too, opposed my stance.
"We do not know what dangers Isis might face overnight. Setting aside whether she can truly cure him, we have no idea how long the treatment will take. If the sermon ends before the treatment is finished, we will find ourselves surrounded by the cultists once their gathering disperses. What should we do then?"
The bishop's expression hardened as he continued.
"Should we slaughter every single follower who rushes at us just to treat that one child? Or should we stand by and watch as they drag Isis away too?"
The bishop shook his head. The words of a Heretic Inquisitor who had hunted down worshipers of the Evil God dozens of times were ruthless.
"We cannot, Hero. I am sorry to say this, but I will not allow it."
There was no room for rebuttal. Ideals were bound to crumble when faced with the wall of reality.
I searched for a counterargument, but I couldn't completely refute the bishop's words. The only option left was to use my authority as the Hero to stubbornly force my way.
I'll do it if I have to. If I don't step up to save that child, who will?
It was just as I took a deep breath, looking at the bishop.
"Then I will step down from my position as the Saintess."
Isis, who had been watching the conversation between Aryen, the bishop, and me the entire time, dropped a bombshell.
"...Isis, what on earth do you mean by that?"
Isis stood up and stepped forward.
"Even if the Holy Kingdom doesn't accept it, I will declare it myself. What kind of Saintess can't even save a single person? I will step down from this position in disgrace, letting everyone point fingers and condemn me. How can someone who can't even save a child in danger be the face of the Holy Kingdom, let alone hold the title of Saintess?"
Isis's face contorted in agony.
"I failed to save this place. Of course, it might not be anyone's fault, but we could have made a different choice back then. And I just wandered around, completely oblivious to how deeply wounded this place was. Because I didn't know anything. I didn't know what it truly meant to save someone."
Isis was being completely unreasonable. I could only stare at her, my eyes wide with shock.
The Holy Sword spoke, her voice laced with amusement.
Isis stood with her back to the light streaming through the broken door.
"Because I won't do that anymore. I don't want to turn away ever again, using the excuse that I didn't know."
Please, just give me one chance.
Bishop Andre and Aryen stared at Isis. Bishop Andre opened his mouth to say something, but furrowed his brow and fell silent. Aryen watched her with a faint, expressionless gaze.
"You are being unreasonable, Isis."
"I don't care if it's unreasonable. Sometimes, being unreasonable is what saves people."
Silence fell over the room. Bishop Andre's contorted face slowly returned to normal. His ash-grey eyes pierced through Isis's blue eyes.
Isis did not avert her gaze. She lowered her guard and met his eyes head-on, as if inviting him to look through her as much as he pleased.
"Ha. To think I would see such a look in your eyes."
The bishop let out a sigh, scratched his head vigorously, and pulled a cigarette from his breast pocket. Paying no mind to the eyes on him, he casually conjured a small spark of holy fire over his hand to light it.
"Isis, did you know that ever since you were a child, you had a real knack for putting people in difficult spots?"
Inhale. Exhale.
Isis did not answer. The bishop gave a bitter smile, one corner of his mouth curving upward.
"I wasn't acting like this just because I was worried about the plan failing, Isis. I was worried about your safety. But..."
The bishop sighed. The puff of smoke billowed out in a thick, white cloud.
"I know that, in the end, that only serves to keep you locked away."
The bishop looked at Isis with sharp eyes. With a soft tap, ash fell from the tip of his burning cigarette. He placed it back between his lips.
"I am not saying this as a Heretic Inquisitor. As a believer of the Holy Church who believes in the existence of the Saintess, as a guardian who has watched over you since you were young, and as your former tutor—I will place my trust in you just this once."
Bishop Andre then shook his head. He looked like a father giving in to his daughter's tantrum. I frowned at him, and the bishop, looking as if he had already given up, turned to me and raised an eyebrow.
You won. His gaze seemed to say.
The bishop then turned his attention back to Isis.
"But remember, Isis. This has nothing to do with your will."
The bishop's voice turned chillingly cold.
"If things go wrong and they swarm toward you... If even the slightest harm comes to your body because of it... Even if it is just a minor scratch..."
The bishop stubbed out his cigarette in an ashtray and spoke.
"I swear to heaven, I will personally slaughter every last one of those who call themselves Doomsday Cultists. Even if the Hero himself stands in my way."
Isis nodded, her face tense. The bishop then looked at Aryen with an apologetic expression. Aryen kept his eyes lowered, staring at the ground.
"We finally agreed on something, yet it has come to this. My apologies, Aryen."
"...I suppose there's no choice," Aryen sighed deeply.
"If this were a Calamity subjugation, it wouldn't have ended with simply trusting Isis."
"Indeed. It might sound cowardly, but yes. Humans are, by nature, opportunistic and cunning creatures."
Aryen closed his eyes, opened them, and looked at me.
"I was hired to protect Isis. If this ends in failure, I will protect only Isis and get her out of here. I might even join the bishop's side."
"Fine," I replied curtly.
Our stances could never truly align. That was true for the Elroy before I possessed this body, and it seemed to hold true for me now.
Having said his piece, Aryen turned away and closed his eyes.
"...Then, I must completely overhaul the plan I had prepared. Isis, I do not know how far the word of your visit to this village has spread, but tonight will likely be your first and last chance to treat that child."
Bishop Andre said, furrowing his brow.
"The risks are substantial, but I will not bother lecturing you on that. While you attempt to treat the child, Isis, we will infiltrate the Doomsday Cultists' sermon. We will keep watch from within and wait for our chance to capture them."
The bishop then turned his head toward Aryen.
"Aryen, I will need you to assist our Heretic Inquisitors. For this kind of work, you are far more suited than the Hero."
Aryen knitted his brows.
"...Then who will protect Isis in the meantime?"
Bishop Andre glanced in my direction. Meeting his gaze, I scowled.
"Let us leave her protection to the Hero and the Hero's party for now. Though, if you find the Hero untrustworthy, there is little we can do."
Aryen slowly shook his head.
"No. I have no intention of acting childish."
The mercenary said, being the first to stand up. I watched Aryen's back as he walked deeper into the nave.
"I will say it again: you only have one chance, Isis."
Isis nodded solemnly.
"I know."
Her eyes did not waver at the warning that there was only one chance. With Isis's resolve set, my role was now decided. To protect that resolve.
I quietly watched Isis and the bishop for a moment before standing up. Night was drawing near.